Hydraulically Actuated Drain Tile Roll Loading and Support Assembly

ABSTRACT

A hydraulically operated drain tile spool is provided having a frame assembly supporting an articulating upper and lower control arm for operably engaging, lifting, and supporting a drain tile roll from a suitable farm vehicle. The lower control arm supports a spool lower ring and a spool shaft, whereby a first hydraulic arm rotates the spool shaft between a horizontal (loading) position and a vertical (working) position. The upper control arm supports a spool upper ring and a spool shaft receiving member. A second hydraulic arm operably connects the receiving member with the vertical spool shaft to establish a cohesive spool assembly having a central shaft for supporting a drain tile roll between an upper and lower ring in a rotatable and dispensable position. The device connects to a suitable agricultural vehicle to support a drain tile roll without requiring direct contact therewith by an operator when stringing tile.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/635,557 filed on Apr. 19, 2012, entitled “Reel Cap.” The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to agricultural machinery and soil drainage. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a new and novel drain tile roll support and loading apparatus that is attached to a trailer for replacing and dispensing drain tile rolls from a hydraulically supported spool while in the field.

Tile drainage is a subsurface water control means utilized in agricultural settings for maintenance of desired moisture levels within the soil. Moisture content within the soil has to be controlled in order to ensure optimum crop growth and for allowing access to the crops by way of heavy farm equipment. Too much moisture in the soil inhibits plant growth, while heavily saturated soil can quickly bog down heavy machinery utilized in crop cultivation, making access difficult or impossible to access. While surface and free-standing water is generally removed using a pumping process or graded surface, subsurface soil is generally removed using tile drainage.

Tile drainage is a buried drain pipe that is either segmented or perforated to accept subsurface water thereinto, wherein the buried drain is graded such that the water naturally flows in one direction and into a surface water collection area, such as a nearby body of water or a man-made reservoir. The drain tile is an elongated section of pipe that is buried within an excavated trench within the soil, in a similar fashion as a French drain around buildings, wherein the drain tile is then optionally covered with gravel and then a layer of soil thereover. As the water level rises, or as water percolates into the soil from rainfall, the water enters the pipe and flows from the farm fields and away from the crops, which desire a specific range of moisture levels in order to ensure proper root growth for healthy development.

Deploying drain tile, or “stringing” tile, involves placement of a drain tile piping roll onto a tractor or similar article of farm machinery for support thereof. Workmen draw the tile from a spool supporting the roll as the tractor advances along a desired path for the drain tile trench. The spool rotates and the length of tile is withdrawn from the roll for later placement into the trench before backfilling with gravel and soil thereover. The roll is therefore rotatably supported by the tractor to facilitate withdrawing therefrom, while periodic replacement of the roll is required after its drain tile length is fully deployed. The present invention pertains to the method of replacing a drain tile roll onto a tractor spool, and further to a new and novel spool assembly for efficiently and safely replacing a drain tile roll onto a tractor.

When replacing the drain tile roll, the operator has to position a new roll onto a spool shaft and secure the roll thereonto using an upper and lower spool ring that ensures the roll does not slide from the spool during operation. During the process of stringing tile in the field, operators are required to exit the vehicle cab every instance in which they are loading a fresh roll of drain tile onto the spool shaft or when unloading a depleted roll therefrom. This process is time consuming and inefficient to the overall tile stringing process.

The replacement process further allows for steps to be skipped that affect safety of the operators and workers in the field. During replacement of the roll, both rings of the spool are required to be installed to contain the roll thereon. If operators choose not to install the removable top ring, the tile can dislodge from the spool and flip over as it is being unrolled, which can cause defects in the pipe. The tile can also bounce along the spool shaft while in the field, causing damage to the spool, the tile, and the trailer. It is submitted that an effective solution to these known problems is necessary.

The present invention describes a hydraulically controlled drain tile spool that can be supported from a tile stringer trailer. The device comprises a pair of hydraulic arms mounted along the front of the trailer. A hydraulic cylinder articulates the upper arm, which supports the spool upper ring and its connection to the spool support shaft. The hydraulic arm is operably connected thereto during the loading and unloading process of drain tile rolls, which eliminates the need for the operator to leave his seat and manually install the upper ring. The spool shaft and lower ring are further hydraulically controlled and operably rotated from a vertical (working) position, to a horizontal (loading) position. When in a vertical position, the upper hydraulic arm can secure the upper ring to the spool support shaft and the stringing process can continue. The device provides operators with an automated means of placing the upper ring onto or off drain tile spool, where the device can be used by farmers who purchase tiling equipment and contracting companies who do custom tiling.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to drain tile supports and farming equipment. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.

Several devices in the prior art relate to machinery having hydraulically operated booms. These devices utilize hydraulic arms to manipulate, to lift, or to level articles to reduce manual labor and to facilitate certain processes. The first of these is U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,328 to McVaugh, which discloses a lifting device for attachment to a vehicle trailer hitch. The McVaugh device includes a hydraulic boom arm that allows for a range of motion within a given plane for lifting and placing articles into the bed of the trailer or pickup truck. Other related devices are U.S. Pat. No. 8,079,799 to Rathburn and U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,811 to Bernecker, which disclose hydraulic lifting arms for loading a trailer with different articles, including containers (Rathburn) and hay bales (Bernecker). These devices both employ hydraulically powered arms that support an article using particular attachments to the arm and have inherent degrees of freedom. Finally, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,983,953 and 6,332,627 to Damron disclose a lifting trailer and one that can level itself utilizing hydraulically controlled supports.

These prior art devices highlight the different applications for hydraulically powered machines, whereby a powered arm is capable of supporting heavy loads and positioning the load into a given area. These devices are thoroughly useful in their respective applications; however each describes a diverging assembly that is adapted for specific use outside of the scope of the present invention.

The present invention pertains to a hydraulically controlled drain tile spool, whereby a drain tile roll can be loaded, secured, and held in a working position without requiring any manual or direct interaction by way of the operator. The device includes a separable spool having an upper control arm and a lower control arm being driven by hydraulic rams. The lower control arm is utilized to position the spool and lower spool ring in either a loading or dispensing position, while the upper spool ring is controlled by the upper control arm for operably securing the drain tile roll onto the spool and for supporting the same while the drain tile is being dispensed.

It is submitted that the present invention is substantially divergent in design elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing drain tile spool devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of drain tile spools now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new, hydraulically controlled drain tile spool assembly that can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when automatically loading, controlling, and dispensing a drain tile roll from a trailer or tractor without direct operator interaction.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved drain tile spool assembly that has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a drain tile spool assembly that can accomplish loading of a new drain tile roll thereon, unloading of a dispensed roll therefrom, and support of a roll thereon during deployment that affords stability of the roll and protection of operators and workmen therearound.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a drain tile spool assembly that is hydraulically powered, whereby the device comprises an articulating and separable drain tile spool attachable to a farm tractor or trailer when stringing tile in an agricultural setting.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a drain tile spool assembly having a pivotable lower spool ring that is secured to the spool shaft, whereby this assembly is secured to the lower control arm for operably transitioning between a horizontal (loading) position and a vertical (working) position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a drain tile spool assembly having an upper control arm supporting the upper spool ring, whereby the upper spool ring can be lowered and secured onto the spool shaft when the shaft is in a vertical position, securing the upper ring thereto to establish a secure spool from which the drain tile roll can be dispensed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a drain tile spool assembly that can be manufactured with or added onto an existing drain tile stringer trailer.

A final object of the present invention is to provide a drain tile spool assembly that improves efficiency of the reloading process, reduces the likelihood of unsecured drain tile rolls during deployment, and eliminates the need for an operator to personally interact with the drain tile spool any time during the process.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 shows a view of the drain tile spool assembly in a loading position.

FIG. 2 shows a view of the drain tile spool assembly, wherein the spool shaft is in a vertical position and ready to accept the spool upper ring and shaft receiving member.

FIG. 3 shows a view of the present drain tile spool assembly in a working position.

FIG. 4 shows a view of the upper control arm and upper spool ring.

FIG. 5 shows a view of the upstanding member of the spool assembly frame.

FIG. 6 shows a side view of the upper control arm.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the upper control arm.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the horizontal member of the spool assembly frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the drain tile spool assembly. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for loading, supporting, and dispensing drain tile from rolls using a hydraulically controlled assembly that allows all operations to be conducted by an operated from within the cab of the vehicle. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a view of the drain tile spool assembly of the present invention in a horizontal (loading) position. The assembly is one that forms a spool having end cap rings to accept and support a drain tile roll, allowing the roll to spin freely within the spool when deploying lengths of drain tile in an agricultural environment. The assembly includes an L-shaped frame having a lower horizontal member 90 and an upstanding member 50 connected thereto, whereby the horizontal frame member 90 connects to a farm vehicle such as a tractor, trailer, pick-up truck or other suitable support. The connection design of the frame to the given vehicle can take on several different forms for different application, providing for different levels of complexity with regard to an integrated spool assembly or one that is attachable to an existing vehicle.

Pivotably connecting to the frame horizontal member 90 is an articulating lower control arm 40, which supports a portion of the spool as it transitions between a horizontal and vertical configuration. The spool lower ring 12 and spool central shaft 11 is connected to the lower arm 40 and follows its articulating motion. At the end of the shaft 11 may be a contoured, filleted, or angular tip 10 for slidable engagement of the spool upper portion thereover or for slidable engagement with a drain tile roll. A first hydraulically driven arm 41 drives the lower control arm 40 between a horizontal and vertical position, whereby the arm 40 goes through a ninety degree path and has a single degree of freedom.

In the position as shown in FIG. 1, the lower control arm 40 is in a vertical position, which places the spool shaft 10 in a horizontal position for loading and unloading rolls of drain tile for use in stringing tile across a farm. In this position, the shaft 11 can be inserted into the open interior of the drain tile roll, whereafter the hydraulic arm 41 can rotate the shaft 11 and the roll into a vertical position. This operation is reversed to remove a drain tile roll from the shaft 11 when a replacement is needed.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 through 4, the upper portion of the assembly is shown in detail. Along the upper portion of the frame and at the distal end of the frame upstanding member 50 is an upper control arm 20. The upper control arm 20 is a member that is pivotably attached 22 to the upstanding frame member 50 and connects to the upper spool ring 13. The upper spool ring 13 is adapted to oppose the lower spool ring 12 along opposing ends of the spool shaft 11 when mated and when the shaft 11 is in a vertical position. A second hydraulic arm 21 operably controls the positioning of the upper control arm 20 by displacing the first end 24 of the arm. This motion causes the second end 23 of the arm 20 to move in an opposing direction based on the pivot point 22, whereby the assembly operates as a rocker arm. Therefore, the second hydraulic arm 21 controls the raising and lowering of the upper spool ring 13 onto the vertical spool shaft 11 when desired. This operation is conducted when enclosing a drain tile roll on the shaft 11 between the rings or when releasing the shaft 11 for subsequent replacement of a new roll thereon.

The upper 13 and lower 12 spool rings are widened members that act as spool ends, whereby the rings are adapted to contain a drain tile roll on the shaft 11 and prevent sliding motion therealong. The rings have a diameter sufficient to prevent the roll from sliding from the ends of the shaft 11 or from bouncing along the shaft 11 length when in a vertical orientation. Embodiments of the spool ends are shown in FIGS. 1 through 6, wherein a planar spool end is provided having a multi-member construction. Alternate embodiments for the spool ends are contemplated, including any large diameter, spoked member that secures a roll of tile drain piping between ends of the disclosed spool shaft 11.

Referring again to FIGS. 2 through 4, the upper spool ring 13 is visualized, along with the spool shaft receiving member 14. The receiving member may comprise a male post member or a female sleeve member 14 that is adapted to connect to the upper end 10 of the spool shaft 11 when in a vertical orientation. When a replacement roll is positioned on the shaft 11 and the operated articulates the shaft 11 into a vertical position, the operator can then operate the second hydraulic arm 21 such that the spool upper ring 13 and the shaft receiving member 14 is lowered onto the upper end 10 of the spool shaft 11. The upper end 10 may comprise a square end of the shaft 11, or may further comprise a rounded, filleted, or pointed end 10 to facilitate engagement of the female shaft receiving member 13. If a male post member is utilized, the upper end 10 of the shaft may comprise a female receptacle to accept the post member therein. In either embodiment, the operator can affect a connection of the upper ring 13 with the upstanding shaft 11 to form the two-ringed spool using the hydraulic controlled assembly.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, each of the hydraulic arms 21, 41 comprise hydraulic lines 28, 29 to control the positioning of a hydraulic piston 37 within the piston cylinder 59. In this way, the hydraulic arms operate as controllable jacks that control the positioning of the upper 20 and lower 90 control arms. The ends 35 of the hydraulic arms connect to the control arms by way of a direct connection. In an alternate configuration for the upper control arm, a length of chain may chain may be utilized between the hydraulic arm and the upper control arm 20 so as to prevent binding and to provide adjustability of the connection. The proximal end of the first and second hydraulic arm is pinned 52 to the frame to allow rotation of the proximal end during deployment of the hydraulic piston 37.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, there is shown the upper control arm 20 of the spool assembly of the present invention. The upper control arm 20 is a rocker arm that is controlled by the second hydraulic arm by way of the arm first end 25, wherein upward motion thereof causes the second end 26 of the arm to move in an opposing motion based on the location of the arm pivot point 22 that connects to the upstanding frame member. The control arm comprises of a first portion 24 and a second portion 23 separated by the pivot point 22. The portions may comprise singular, elongated members, or may be reinforced (as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7) by way of first 80 and second 81 brace members connecting to an upstanding post 82. The post and brace members form triangular support frames for the control arm that ensure its structure when handling the loads from the suspended upper spool ring during operation and prevent failure.

Referring finally to FIG. 8, there is shown the horizontal member 90 of the frame, which supports the articulating lower control arm and the connection of the assembly to the attached vehicle. The horizontal frame member 90 is designed to support the operating loads associated with engaging, lifting, and then supporting the drain tile roll when deployed. The first hydraulic arm connects to a pin joint clevis 91 along the frame length, while the proximal end 92 of the frame length supports the pivot joint for the lower control arm. To ensure stability and structural integrity of the horizontal frame length, reinforcement struts 93 are angularly attached to the member about its proximal end 92. Along this end 92, the assembly attaches to a vehicle for support during operation. The device is adapted to be either manufactured into a vehicle, whereby the assembly connects to the vehicle frame, or alternatively the assembly can connect by way of a trailer hitch and receiver.

The exact design of the horizontal frame member 90, the upper and lower control arms, and the connection between the frame assembly and the vehicle can be provided having varying designs. However, it is desired to disclose a hydraulic assembly that lifts, supports, and then encloses a drain tile roll onto a separable spool, whereby the operator is not required to directly interact with the assembly and can manipulate the assembly elements by way of hydraulic action. The hydraulic controls can be positioned within the vehicle for use by the operator, whereby the attached vehicle provides the necessary hydraulic lines and hydraulic pressure.

It is submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

I claim: 1) A hydraulically actuated drain tile roll loading and support assembly, comprising: a frame; a spool; a first and second hydraulic arm. 